NEWSLETTER - JUNE HIGHLIGHTS
IDEAS & INSPIRATION
POSTCARD FROM CRYSTAL
Karma got me in Bhutan. Literally. On my recent trip to Bhutan, I was met at the airport by my new guide, Karma, from Uma Paro. Smartly dressed in his dark grey pressed Bhutanese Gho, poor Karma was the beneficiary of all the puns we could think of over the next few days. Are you good Karma or bad Karma today? I'm sure he'd never heard that one before!
As you know, we're launching Legacy Retreat Edition Bhutan soon and we were busy with preparations at the stunning Uma Paro. However, we also had some time to explore the fascinating kingdom of Bhutan, land of spiritual monuments, dramatic vistas, dried chillies, ageless monks and tangled prayer flags streaming in the wind. It was one of the most sublime experiences in my life.
Bhutan is still largely unbesmirched by gaggles of slack jawed tourists and as we wandered down the main street of Paro on our first day there, we were the only foreigners as far as we could see. The Bhutanese are proud people and do not pander much to tourists. We walked about the local market and got to see real Bhutanese life in its uncontrived simplicity. People purchasing blood sausages, stall vendors trading dried chillies for root vegetables, children skipping through piles of wares.
Even the souvenir shops were authentic in their ethos - there's hardly any mass-produced China plastic tat, instead you'll find beautiful and subtle handwoven silks and sturdy tribal textiles, handcarved amber, thunderstone and jade jewellery, prayer flags in every size and colour, and other wonderful treasures.
On our last day there, we hiked up to the world famous Tak Tsang Tiger's Nest Monastery, famous for its precarious and dramatic location on the edge of a cliff in Paro. Guru Rinpoche is said to have flown to the site of the temple on the back of a tigress and meditated for 3 years in a cave before the temple was erected in his honour.
Trekking to Tiger's Nest was a 3 hour vertiginous hike punctuated with jawdropping panoramic vistas of the surrounding ranges and the improbably perched monastery clinging on to the side of the mountain for its dear life. My tummy was growling as loud as Rinpoche's tiger and I was so grateful for a lunch break in a tiny shack and I can honestly say that I have never been so happy to see nettle soup in my life!
We were duly impressed by the rabbits warren of prayer rooms which made up Tiger's Nest monastery and all its artifacts, but for me the most memorable experience was meditating with Mark on a sunwarmed rock on the top of the world, legs dangling over the edge.
If there ever was a time to visit Bhutan, this is it. Literally a handful of beautiful and eco conscious resorts like Uma Paro exist now and the tourism floodgates are just beginning to open. In 1992, there were 2,850 tourists, in 2010 there were 30,000, and now the government plans to raise numbers to 100,000 in the near future, while still focusing on its policy of high quality, low impact tourism. The country still does not have a single traffic light and it is possible to trek for hours without seeing another tourist.
This September 3-8, we will holding be Legacy Retreat Bhutan at the country's premier resort, Uma Paro, which was the accommodation for the Royal Family at the recent Paro Royal Wedding. Our powerful and thought provoking workshops will be in a light filled studio overlooking one of the most spiritual lands in the world, and our body treatments will be in the amazing Como Spa. We particularly recommend the outdoor hot stone bath as well. September is a wonderful season to visit - the lands are lush and the rivers are gushing and full after the summer monsoon while the rainy season has come to an end and the weather is perfect for exploring. We are very privileged and hope to see you there this September!
THIS MONTH, LEGACY IS READING. . .
AMERICAN DREAM MACHINE - Matthew Specktor
http://www.amazon.com/American-Dream-Machine-Matthew-Specktor/dp/1935639447
Look no further for this summer's best read. A thoroughly fascinating and elegiac novel about Hollywood's golden age and the struggle of unlikely superstar talent agent Beau Rosenwald. If you enjoy Mad Men, you will love this novel. Incidentally I found out about this novel from Brett Easton Ellis (author of American Psycho)'s twitter feed, Ellis called it a unique accomplishment and one of the best novels about Los Angeles that he ever read.
Random sentences:
'He'd worked with Beau before and so was equal to the usual tactics, wasn't about to be snookered by that gentle badgering that was like being cuffed, relentlessly, with damp towels."
"You coming brother?" Their voices floated back to meet me. And after a moment I pushed off the hood of my father's car and started after them. The street was otherwise empty, and walking down the sloping drive I heard the soft, surf-like stirring of the leaves, the distant whisper of traffic that sounded almost organic at night. Like the movemen t of the seaa and the breeze, like that rough , tropic disorder that someday will be all that remains."
TREE HOUSES : FAIRY TALE CASTLES IN THE AIR
http://www.amazon.com/Tree-Houses-Fairy-Tale-Castles/dp/3836526646/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1370743531&sr=1-2&keywords=tree+houses
Thinking of a project to do with the kids? This huge book provides plenty of inspiration and a tour of the best tree houses in the world, some by accomplished architects, others being anonymous contributions. Pure fantasy with a ecological twist - climb into a tree and relive childhood exhilaration.
MAKING SPACE : CREATING A HOME MEDITATION PRACTICE
http://www.amazon.com/Making-Space-Creating-Meditation-Practice/dp/193700600X/ref=sr_1_18?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1370743980&sr=1-18
Mindfulness master Thich Nhat Hanh provides a concise guide to establishing a mindfulness practice, setting up a breathing room, listening to a bell and gives advice on integrating meditations into your everyday actions - walking, breathing, cooking, eating. Create a sanctuary in your home for yourself and your family.
LEGACY IS DOING. . .
23 AND ME - FIND OUT ABOUT YOUR DNA
Recently I sent off a vial of my spit to 23andme.com, the Google Inc - backed genomics company, and a few weeks later, I got a report on my personalised risk for 240+ health conditions, highlighting which ones I had elevated risk of vis a vis the general population and which I had decreased risk of. It was a really interesting and worthwhile thing to do - I found out that I have a much elevated risk of arthritis - unsurprising given my flexibility and loose joints, and I have started adding krill oil and Glucosamine to my diet. As they say, prevention is better than cure and I hope this makes a difference to my later years! Find out more at http://www.23andme.com/
UPCOMING EVENTS
LEGACY WELLNESS PRESCRIPTION WITH MARK PHILLIPS, SINGAPORE AND HK IN JULY
Our wonderful Oriental Body Therapy expert, Mark Philips, will be in Singapore and Hong Kong in July to offer a 2 day Wellness Prescription experience.
We are offering a 2 day wellness prescription with Mark where you will receive:
- An individual Marma Point diagnosis consultation
- Two Qi Gong & meditation workshops
- Two private acupuncture sessions for detoxing and relief
- A custom tailored wellness prescription
The Clinic will give you an opportunity to get a full body review & reboot as well as take away key practices to allow you to maintain better balance and inner strength.
Hong Kong - Tuesday 23rd - Wednesday 24th July (HKD $2900 all inclusive)
Singapore - Thursday 25 - Friday 26th of June (SGD $449 all inclusive)
OUR NEXT RETREAT - LEGACY EDITION BHUTAN 3 - 8 SEPTEMBER
We're now accepting bookings for our hotly anticipated retreat in the serene and absolutely magical kingdom of Bhutan this September when Bhutan is at it's greenest, full of wild flowers, majestic valley views and overflowing rivers. Come join us for a once in a lifetime journey in one of the world's most beautiful and unspoilt places. Limited places available.
For more details on the programme and to sign up, please email info@thelegacyretreat.com.
VOLKER KROHN IN SINGAPORE 10-13 JUNE
Our therapist Volker Krohn, who is also the Director of the Hoffman Institute, is visiting Singapore from 10th to 13th June, 2013
Sessions & Free Consultations also available for those interested in the Hoffman Process or to discuss Legacy Retreat. We are not affiliated with the Hoffman Process but we highly respect and support their work and see it as a great complement to Legacy Retreat.
Attend the Hoffman Process Introductory Event to learn how you can:
Gain better personal relationships
Renew enthusiasm for life and vitality
Develop more leadership skills and more effectiveness at work
Increase emotional intelligence, mindfulness and self-confidence
Relief from anger and depression
Find compassion and forgiveness for self and others
A better understanding of loved ones
On: Tuesday, 11th June, 2013
From: 7:00pm to 9:00pm
at: Google Asia Pacific Ltd.
31/F, Asia Square Tower 1
Singapore 018960
Room: Gotham
To register for the information event please visit or contact the Hoffman office during business hours (Mon - Fri 10am-6pm Australian Eastern Standard Time) on info@hoffmanprocess.com.au or Singapore +65 6735 3072 , or Aust +61 3 9826 2133